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Pittsfield Council OKs $175M Operating Budget, $11M Capital Plan
The City Council approved both the operating budget and the capital budget on Tuesday, June 11,but not before one more match of pickleball.
Pittsfield Board Pulls Back Permitting Restrictions On Proprietor's Lodge
The Community Development Board is temporarily halting its request that city officials halt all permitting for additions to Proprietor's Lodge but will be keeping a close eye on the operations. The lodge received a special permit earlier this year from parking requirements and it had presented a parking management plan. The permit was needed because of additional space being created but Proprietor's was not expanding its occupancy. The lodge was given a special permit to add a deck, ceremony
Video Leads to Animal Cruelty Charge For Pittsfield Woman
Police are charging a city woman with animal cruelty after a video of her carrying her dog by the collar went viral locally. Police say on Sunday at about 9:30 police responded to a report of cruelty at the First Street Common earlier in the day. Police reviewed video evidence and witness accounts and determined to summons Melinda Alston, 44, to answer for a single county of cruelty to animals.
Two Juveniles Arrested For Breaking and Entering In Pittsfield
Police arrested two juveniles for breaking and entering Tuesday. Police said the department received a call for a breaking and entering in progress on Linn Street. Witnesses said two suspects had fled the scene prior to officer's arrival. They were described as two black men, wearing hooded sweatshirts, jeans and carrying backpacks.
MCLA Launches Institute of Arts and Humanities
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is partnering with the area's myriad cultural entities to further its mission as an inclusive educational institution.
North Adams Planners Want Permitting for Church 'NOMADS'
The Planning Board has told New Hope United Methodist Church on State Street that it must apply for a special permit to allow RVs to park on its property.
Pressure from Residents Puts Williamstown Bike Path Back on Track
Town Manager Jason Hoch told the Select Board on Monday that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation once again has broken the Williamstown leg of the trail off from the North Adams project, reversing a course the state agency announced this spring.
North Adams Schools to Tout Opportunities at Drury High
Declining enrollment and school choice options are lending some competitive overtones to local school districts and Drury High School to make sure parents understand what it has to offer.
North Adams Library to Renovate Two More Rooms
The Historical Society and trustees of the North Adam Public Library have allocated funds to renovate some unfinished rooms in the library to store archival material.
Lenox Woman Struck Crossing Route 7 on Friday
An 85-year-old Lenox woman was struck by a car on South Street, Route 7, on Friday night.
North Adams Council Delays Approval of Fiscal 2020 Budget
The City Council on Tuesday punted the fiscal 2020 budget approval another two weeks on the recommendation of Councilor Marie T. Harpin.
Mount Greylock School District Seeks Williamstown Resident to Fill Vacant Committee Seat
The Mount Greylock Regional School District has a vacancy on its School Committee and less than a month to fill the position.
Berkshire Mountains Faerie Festival Set for Saturday
Bowe Field will become a fantasy land this Saturday as the fourth annual Berkshire Mountains Faerie Festival emerges from its magical realm.
Cheshire Town Meeting Votes No On Grader
At the conclusion of a nearly four-hour meeting, town meeting shot down the purchase of a used grader but approved the $6.2 million fiscal 2020 budget.
Adult Learning Center Grads Get New Lease on Life
When Brittany Sullivan lost her sister, her life spiraled out of control. "When I was 14 years old, my sister died suddenly in a car accident. This sent me into a downward spiral that led me to drinking, smoking, and dipping into opioids, which eventually got me kicked out of my home at 17. Shortly after, I dropped out of high school," Sullivan said.
McCann Postsecondary Graduates Ready to 'Reap Rewards'
The 14 graduates of McCann Technical School's postsecondary program had a variety of reasons for entering the nearly yearlong program. And at Monday night pinning, they celebrated their successful completion in the fields of cosmetology, dental assisting, medical assisting and surgical assisting.
Signage, Public Awareness Means Less Dog Waste in Adams
Board of Health member Bruce Shepley said with new signage on the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail and public awareness there seems to be fewer dog feces on the trail.
Lothrop Seeks Return to Pittsfield City Council, Jumps Into Ward 5 Race
Former City Councilor Jonathan Lothrop is looking to reclaim his seat at the dais. Less than a week after Ward 5 Councilor Donna Todd Rivers announced she would not be seeking re-election, Lothrop announced a campaign for the seat he sat in for more than a decade.
Cheshire to Look Into Road Grader Options
After plans to buy a used road grader were decisively rebuffed at town meeting on Monday night, the Board of Selectmen says it will seek out a different avenue for a the road equipment.
Republic Services Donates to Four Pittsfield Community Organizations
Republic Services doesn't just clean up the city's trash. It helps to clean up the community. The city's trash hauler makes annual donations to various organizations throughout the city. This year four organizations were chosen by Mayor Linda Tyer for donations eyed to help make the city a better place. The South Congregational Food Pantry was again a recipient. Republic Services has donated to the food pantry on multiple occasions and employees hold food drives to get additional donations
Ericson Looks to Reel in Taxes If Re-elected to Lanesborough Selectboard
A small town like Lanesborough shouldn't have the highest tax rate in the county, according to Robert Ericson. Ericson is seeking his third term on the Board of Selectmen and has grown into taking a more fiscally conservative view on the town's finances - a viewpoint he said he didn't he'd ultimately take. But as he's spoken with many residents in town, he's realized the demographics are aging and there are a significant number of retirees on the verge of being "forced out of their houses."
Lanesborough Town Meeting Approves $10.7M Budget and More
Town meeting approved 35 of 38 warrant articles Tuesday night including the $10.7 million budget, a study for a future police station, but denied the sale of a parcel of land the town owns on North Main Street originally intended for senior housing. The meeting came with few fireworks, unlike last year, and moved along at a decent clip considering the number of articles. Moderator Chris Dodig, at his first annual town meeting, set the tone early.
State Launches Public Awareness Campaign to Teens on Healthy Interactions
Sometimes a teenager will take to social media to rank about another. It causes riffs between the two individuals. The original poster's friends ask what it was all about and they respond they were just venting. That's when the friends should step in and tell the poster to go talk to the individual about it. That is a better way to solve problems.
Hubbard Seeks to Bring 'Wealth of Experience' to Lanesborough Selectboard
Gordon Hubbard is hoping to bring a wide range of experience to the Board of Selectmen. Hubbard is the owner of Mount Greylock Campsite Park but prior to that boasts of a career in teaching, school administration, volunteer firefighting and as an emergency medical technician.
Adams Man Facing Charges Related to 2 Break-ins
Police arrested have arrested an Adams man thought to be connected to two break-ins earlier this month.
BCAC Celebrates Accomplishments at Annual Meeting
Nancy Wagman, the Kids Count director of the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, gave a presentation to the more than 100 guests gathered at Berkshire Hills Country Club on Friday that went back in time to show when and how poverty started winning the war that President Lyndon Johnson declared on it in the 1960s.
CATA Breaks Ground for New Art Center & Headquarters
Community Access for the Arts broke ground on Wednesday morning for a new art center at 420 Stockbridge Road.
Solid Waste District Considers Accepting North Adams
Williamstown representative Tim Kaiser told the commission Thursday that he and program director Linda Cernik have met with city officials about re-entering the district.
Coalition Celebrates Another Year of Building Community
Parts of that hole, however, could be filled by the inspiring and uplifting words of the speakers who came to the podium on Friday to share what the idea of "building community" — the theme of the meeting, complete with a Lego brick motif and cake — meant to them.
Mount Greylock School Committee Completes Superintendent Evaluation
And the "needs improvement" classification itself was not to be unexpected for someone who was hired as a full-time superintendent after a spring 2018 vote of the committee.
Berkshires' Summer Jazz Camp Enrollment Open
In mid-August, high school and middle school students throughout the county will get a chance to sit in with a group of master jazz musicians at Hoosac Valley High School.
Hoosac Valley Announces Second Quarter Honor Roll
Hoosac Valley High School has announced its honor roll for the second quarter of the 2018-19 school year.
Two Pittsfield Firefighters Resign After Residency Challenged
Two newly hired firefighters resigned after it was found they had falsely claimed residency to get a boost in the Civil Service exam. The Civil Service Commission called for an investigation into the matter after a bypass appeal was filed late last fall. Justin Brady had taken the exam but did not get the job. He filed a grievance with the Civil Service Commission claiming three candidates - Lucas Perry, Jonathan LaCasse, and Nicholas Amuso - above him did not qualify for the residency prefer
Herberg Set to Take on Ambitious Improvement Plan Thanks to State Grant
Thanks to a $900,000 state grant, Herberg Middle School is poised to vastly improve the academics in the building. Herberg has had low scores on state assessments leading it into "turnaround status" and Principal Martin McEvoy and Assistant Principal for Teaching and Learning Lisa Lesser crafted an ambitious plan to change those results. Earlier this month, the state not only approved the plan but also awarded $900,000 over the next three years to implement it.
Sandisfield Arts Center Presents 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'
The production includes seasoned Sandisfield actors Jean Atwater-Williams, Mary Anne Grammer, Ben Luxon and Susie Crofut, plus a host of child actors and adults from Sandisfield and neighboring communities.
Summer Music Festival Season is About to Begin
These are the music festivals that make our locality a cultural capital, drawing thousands to hear great music – popular, classical chamber, symphony, choral, opera, musical theater, contemporary classical, et al – to experience legendary artists perform masterworks within the verdant hills and dales of the Berkshires and southwestern Vermont we call home.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: June 14-19
June's 3rd Thursday celebrates health and fitness with the running of the 10th annual Green Mile Road Race to benefit the Pittsfield Parade Fund at 5:30 p.m
BBBBBzzz: Bombino, Berkshire Jazz Start the Pop Season with a Bang
Hopefully, I'll encourage you to attend a performance of music you know you love, or even music you don't know but that you might love. A great, varied season awaits from Great Barrington to North Adams.
Adams-Cheshire Starts Two-Pronged Search for Superintendent, Interim
The Adams-Cheshire Regional School Committee on Monday voted to hire an interim superintendent and simultaneously conduct a permanent superintendent search.
Third Man Charged In January Murder In Pittsfield
A third man has been charged in the killing of 18-year-old Jaden Salois in January. Dasean Smith, 21, is now charged with murder, carrying a firearm without a license, and possession of a firearm while committing a felony. Judge Mark Mason ordered him to be held without bail.
Berkshire Bank Names First Vice President, Commercial Team Leader
Emprimo joined the bank in 1998 and has more than 20 years of experience as a commercial relationship manager. In his new role, he will lead the team of commercial bankers that covers both Berkshire County and the state of Vermont.
Farley-Bouvier, Hinds Chat Environmental Issues At Pittsfield Forum
The state hopes to see more renewable energy from solar and thus incentives solar development. However, the way the programs are currently established, the solar often comes at the expense of cutting trees. "We have perverse incentives for solar. It is cheaper for a developer to come in and cut down a whole bunch of trees to do something for the environment," state Rep. Farley-Bouvier said.
Berkshires Beat: BNRC Upgrades Popular Trails for 2019 Summer Season
Similar upgrades have also been completed at 16 other BNRC trail sites across Berkshire County. All 54 BNRC reserves are open to the public year-round from dawn to dusk, free of charge.
The Independent Investor: The Suburban Dilemma
It was an age when Americans abandoned the inner city. By the hundreds of thousands per year, they embraced the tract home, the white picket fence, and quarter-acre of lawn or back yard far from the busting crowds of the city.
Greylock Elementary Celebrates Bike-To-School Day
Greylock School will be the pilot school for a Bike-to-School Day in the fall, so Family Bicycle Night was an opportunity for students to ride their bicycles and learn and practice bicycle safety.
Hoosac Valley Announces Third Quarter Honor Roll
Hoosac Valley High School has announced its honor roll for the third quarter of the 2018-19 school year.
@theMarket: Markets Expect Fed to Cut Rates
Investors can credit the Fed once again for the market's revival thus far in June. The buying is fueled by expectations of three rate cuts by no later than December. Is that wishful thinking?
Williams College Athletics Program Wins Directors' Cup
The Williams College athletic program won its 22nd Learfield IMG College Directors' Cup, emblematic of athletic supremacy in NCAA DIII with a point total of 1,117.
Clarksburg Still Hoping for State Funds Toward School Repairs
School and town officials have reached out the state in hopes of getting some funding to do more for the building but those efforts have so far been unsuccessful.
'The Spy Behind Home Plate': Glove, Mask, Cloak-and-Dagger
But what drives you crazy as you partake of Kempner's scholarly and entertaining treasure trough of the superbly assembled puzzle that was Newark, N.J.'s, Moe Berg, is, how about all the stuff we probably don't know about him?
